Tuesday, 27 January 2015

Lately, Miscellaneous

These last few days have been full, but it's been a good kind of sociable-busy, not stressed-busy. I've been day tripping to London. My friend Abigail and I try to meet there at least once a year; we call our jaunts "Mother's Respite Days" and they usually involve some kind of gallery or museum visit, then food, then shopping, then more food. I am clueless in London and leave the planning and navigation to Abigail who knows the city really well. I saw a funny thing while I was there - selfie sticks! Extensions for the camera on your phone, so that you can take a good picture of yourself in front of famous monuments. I realise I'm probably one of those annoying people who wander around capital cities looking up at things saying "Oh wow, look at that roofline/cloud/tree!" while taking a photo, but still....I do not have a selfie stick. I will keep what dignity I still have.

Anyway, it was a brilliant day. Absolutely freezing cold, but sunny and dry. We visited the National Portrait Gallery and it was wonderful, and busy as you'd expect, but oh, the Real Tudors display was so good, and especially interesting to me after watching Wolf Hall on tv last week, imagining those old paintings as real people.

But for me, the absolute shining star of the visit (and possibly my whole day) was Grayson Perry's Who Are You? tapestry.

Joyful, exuberant, interesting, witty and impossible to photograph.

It captures all that is good and unique about being from this country. These little trees say "British Museum" and "British Library". I love that. So rich, so many details.

We spent a long time in the Tatty Devine shop. Huge restraint was exercised and one small purchase was made.

Closer to home we had a very nice family walk around a local millpond.

I spent a while trying to photograph the seagulls, like you do. We were feeding the ducks and the seagulls just descended. I felt safe behind the lens but, my word, they are not shy. Imagine one of them swooping down towards your bag of chips.

Four hundred shots later I got one with a bird carrying a chunk of bread in it's beak. Hmm, that looks a lot like stale Kingsmill 50/50 to me.

I watched Angus try to throw increasingly large rocks into the sea, some so heavy he could barely lift them before stumbling and dropping them about one inch away from his toes.

Hilarious.

I made Bella a head band. She chose the yarn, the pattern, everything. She's grown up so much lately. I'm not allowed to take her to her classroom door any more. She says bye at the school gate then saunters off. Some mornings I'm not even allowed to kiss her so instead I shout "Love you!" behind her really loudly as she walks away.

I've dug out a embroidery I started last summer. It's going to be a wall hanging eventually.

I like those triangles, the colours and shapes. I'm finding the stitching very soothing right now.

I like to think about where I might eventually hang it when it's finished.

43 comments:

Crikey where do I start, I love all the things in this post. Thank you for sharing the photos of Grayson Perrys exhibition, I would love to see it but don't think we will be going to London before it ends. I would love to go to the Tatty Devine shop, don't know how restrained I could be. Great photos! Lovely wall hanging, I have some saying I was thinking of cross stitching but I think I will be making them with felt. x

I loved reading about your trip to London. The tapestry looks amazing. I don't go to London often enough but really enjoy it when I get the chance - always come home with aching feet though. I love the photos of the gulls. x

Oh that tapestry is amazing! So intricate and detailed. Glad you had a great day out! I'm all for mother's respite in any form ;). Not sure I would be so keen on those seagulls though. You're very brave! Bee xx

Sometimes I miss living in England, especially in the winter, strangely I used to love to those crisp freezing days walking across the fields to some cosy little pub. Thanks for transporting me for a few minutes

Looks like you had a great day out, that tapestry was my favourite piece too, it summed up Britishness perfectly. Cute headband you made for Bella and yes, it's so hard to see them growing up so fast, glad I get to spend so much time with mine and enjoy these years while I can. x

So many lovely things in this post. The Grayson Perry tapestry is divine - those trees are amazing. Love the hairband, the seagull photos and the fact that you shout 'I love you' really loudly at the school gate! I've been known to do that too - I tell E that it's part of the job description to embarrass one's children! Have fun. x

There used to be a time when I was in London so often I knew it better than some places much closer to where I live, but your post has reminded me that I've not been there in 8 years. Every time I come to England now, it's straight to Yorkshire so that I can spend time with my family there.

How lovely to be in London ... I would love to go there someday. Yes, your kids start to grow up and be their independent serf ... I'm sure it's harder for the parents to accept how fast they grow up, but she is still your little girl ... Enjoy very day my dear friend... My kids are teens now but I continue to try to find something fun and sweet about beg with them everyday. Love the embroidery , it will be so exciting when you know exactly where it will be placed in you new place? Have a fun week my dear friend.

I loved the exhibition Who Are You too. Having even blogged about it, I completely missed the British Museum trees. It took you to point them out for me to see them. Love your seagull photos. As you come to London for 'respite', I need to get out to see the sea.

I read Katherine's blog about Grayson Perry but by the time I get to London it will be gone so it is great to see it again in your blog. It does look like something that is completely consuming, and I love all that colour. I was not familiar with Tatty Devine but now I have my eye on the folk art necklace.And I have bad news on the kids, when they get to High School you are not even allowed to be seen anywhere in their vicinity because as a parent you are 'soooooooooo embarassing'.

Love your stitching.... The Grayson Perry exhibition is definitely on my "To go to " list. We were having lunch at the gallery on New Year's day but didn't have time to see it... The views from the roof top restaurant are wonderful, by the way. I am working on a dissertation of Elizabethan female portraits at the moment and love visiting the place... I hope you find your cosy house soon, Pati xx

We were in London the other weekend and went to the Grayson Perry exhibition too. I also took ages looking at that tapestry. Just fantastic! Love the colours in your wall hanging. Very neat stitching too. Enjoy! x

I'm sure you'd love to soon be able to hang your wall hanging in your new home. Glad you enjoyed your trip to London. I've only been once, many years ago. I was doing a training course for work and was there on my own. My husband loves photographing birds and spends ages at it when we're on holiday especially. He ends up with hundreds of pictures. Bella is definitely growing up - her head band is lovely. You made me laugh about shouting 'love you' after her!

I love your embroidery. Like you, I have occasional days out in London, but I meet my daughter (they grow up too quickly!!!) We also do galleries, food and shopping. Must put Grayson Perry's exhibition on the list for the next visit.

Too many great pictures to comment on! The museum looks amazing! Seagulls freak me out a little!! Angus is precious. Bella is so typically a pre-teen..I remember those days! I would love a whole wall hanging of just the triangles. Hope you are having a wonderful week!

The lady at the icecream cabin told us to eat them under her wooden shelter, not in the gardens.(Llandudno) Soon saw why. A huge seagull was marching back and forth ready to snatch one. They are really fierce big birds and she said she saw them swooping and taking them out of peoples hands!

Looks like you had a great day in London Gillian. My daughter is coming home for the weekend, a good excuse to go up to the NPG. I love Grayson Perry, we went to the 'the tomb of the unknown craftsman' exhibition at the BM about 3 or 4 years ago, it was fabulous. I came home with a tapestry kit of Alan Measles (which I've yet to stitch) and a postcard of one of Perry's fabulous pots, which is, sadly, the closest I'll ever get to owning one! Love your wall hanging, looking forward to ta-dah. Enjoy the rest of your week.Jane xx

I'm laughing about you yelling "I love you behind Bella" as she walks off trying to be cool. The tapestry is absolutely fantastic, wonderful, amazing, I love it. I'm glad you had such a good day in London, I really like the idea of Mother's Respite Days. I'm sure I must qualify for one by now. It's been eleven and a half years, I must have earned a day off.by now. How boys love stones, and the bigger the better. Exactly what mine would do. CJ xx

It's been years since I visited the NPG. Really must try and get to London at some point but it's just so far and expensive :( There was an exhibition of another Grayson Perry tapestry in Manchester last year and I found that fascinating too with all the details. x

Ha! I saw those selfie stick things too, and they were too weird for me as well. I remember my son's stage of not wanting me around. When I arrived unannounced somewhere he was, he would go off and hide even before I said one word to him. He got over it eventually. A many long years type of eventually.

Your trip to London sounds just perfect! I have wanted to visit London since I was about five years old... some day I will get there! It's crazy how grown up Bella is looking these days. I know you are so proud of both of your children... they are adorable.